Exploring the Feasibility of a Community-Driven Peer Education Program Targeting Sexual and Reproductive Health among College Students

Background: Student health services (SHS) are a common source for sexual and reproductive health (SRH) care among college students. However, clinic staff report being over-burdened and experiencing time constraints, while patients express desire for more information than what is feasible during clinic visits. Previous research has indicated that peer educators (PE) can be effective in promoting health among students. Thus, the objective of this research is to explore the feasibility of developing a community-driven PE program targeting SRH among college students.

Methods: Mixed-methods were employed including clinic observations, surveys, and in-depth interviews. A training program for PE was developed through service-learning activities as part of a graduate level women’s health course. A comfort level scale was administered pre and post-training to assess familiarity and ease with health topics among PE.

Results: Among the three PE introduced into the clinic, formative data (n = 64 PE-patient interactions) showed that the average length was 15 minutes per interaction. The most frequently discussed topics were: lifestyle/well-being (diet, exercise, mental health) (75% of sessions, n = 48); contraception (71%, n = 46); and sexually transmitted infections (STIs) (64%, n = 41). Comparison of pre-post training data showed increases in comfort level by all PE in most (95%) topic areas. 

Conclusions: Pilot data suggest that the PE program is feasible and acceptable among trainees. Future research will include assessing patient and clinic staff satisfaction, as well as impact on SRH decision-making and related outcomes, with the overall goal of preventing unintended pregnancies and STIs.